Akiye Tanaka
» |alo race = |in-game occupation = Crafter |affiliation = «Brightscale» |base of operations = |status = Alive |voice actor = |appears in = «Sword Art Online (Kenji)» }} Akiye Tanaka (秋江田中), known by the username Sheila (詩蘭), was one of the 10,000 players trapped in « ». She was a founding member of a called «Brightscale» and supported her friends as a crafter. In-game Akiye ran the «Brightscale Smithy». Her twin sister was Momoko. Akiye served as a frequently used supporting character in the author's work, especially in chapters focusing on Fujimaru Nakamura's point-of-view. Appearance Akiye is a petite dark-haired girl with a cheery disposition.SAOK: The Karma Scales Shortly after joining Kenji she wore crafting gear similar to a standard civilian NPC.SAOK: The Business of Grinding When not crafting however Akiye has appeared with a different outfit almost every day, which were made by Momoko whilst levelling her «Sewing» Skill.SAOK: Inbetweeners III Guild unfirom Seemingly in response to Kusaka's venting regarding the weight of the Tanking equipment his role required him to wear,SAOK: Unexpected Meetings Momoko created a casual uniform rather than a strict battle uniform, allowing for the members of «Brightscale» to exhibit their own unique appearance when questing. The uniform she settled on was distinctly Eastern in design and consisted of a black-coloured kimono, white shitagi, black hakama, white ōbi, white tabi, waraji, and a simple armband with the «Brightscale» insignia emblazoned on its surface.Guild uniform These uniforms were in use by the members of «Brightscale» by the 22nd of December 2022.SAOK: The Twin Sword Conundrum As a continuation of Kenji's insistence on protective equipment when the twins party up with him, Akiye wore several « 's» attached to her ōbi, whilst her shitagi was more thoroughly padded than those worn by her guild-mates. Early crafting gear Akiye's initial crafting clothing consisted of a set of denim dungarees and a thick apron tied at the waist, which was identical to the NPC blacksmiths encountered by Kenji and Airi, on 2nd Floor of Aincrad. This was in accordance with Kenji's observations as the set was entirely store-bought. Once she slotted «Blacksmith» as a Skill she donned a pair of protective heat-resistance gloves that allowed her to safely handle the various ores and ingots safely.SAOK: New Year Resolutions Early combat gear At Kenji's insistence the twins adopted battle-centric equipment whenever they were questing with him. This consisted of a tunic with a protective metallic breast plate, a studded leather skirt, cloth leggings, and fur-lined boots and gloves. The suit was completed with a ridiculous looking brown leather cap. In addition to the above, Fujimaru gifted Akiye and her sister a rather potent «Cloak of Hiding» in the days immediately prior to his official recruitment into «Brightscale». This cloak was moss-green in colouration and was decorated with falling leaves.SAOK: Inbetweeners IV This was one of the few items Akiye would wear regardless of whether it clashed with her current outfit or not and it became a staple of her load-out. Everyday casual outfits The initial clothing she wore in Aincrad consisted of a plain woollen top, leather trousers, and plain black boots. Kenji noted this outfit to be entirely store-bought. One of her outfits is a yellow tunic that extends to thigh-level, which is usually paired with a pair of white three-quarter length trousers, and a pair of sandals. She wore this outfit when she met Fujimaru on the 3rd Floor and quested with him on the 2nd Floor.SAOK: Inbetweeners I Another is an eye-catching scarlet T-shirt with a protective padded leather chest, three quarter-lengths trousers, and stout leather boots designed for field work. In addition, she wore a flower in her hair. This was the outfit she wore when she had a picnic with Fujimaru on the 4th Floor. During her time on the 5th Floor, Akiye had adopted leopard-print jacket and trousers, beige shirt, and her usual leather boots.SAOK: Inbetweeners V Personality Although she is just as energetic as her sister Akiye would be slightly more reserved, but is generally much more assertive in her opinions. She actually tried to defend herself from Loki prior to Kenji's interference. Although twins, the girls have their share of differences, just as they have a long list of similarities. Akiye would be more observant than Momoko, wouldn't be as quick to leap without looking, and is usually the twin Kenji contacts when using the in-game messenger.SAOK: The Eventful Taurus Akiye, unlike Monoko, is not a morning person, with Kenji comically asking her if she was lost under the combination of bed-hair and blankets. In the wake of Loki's attempted robbery the girls came to greatly depend on Kenji; to the point they initially could not sleep without having him nearby, and found trusting others outside his core group difficult. Despite the impact Loki made on her capacity to trust others Akiye managed to befriend Ino Choyo, whom the twins subsequently introduced to Kenji.SAOK Timeline She likewise befriended Fujimaru Nakamura of her own volition without any suggestions from her peers.SAOK: Inbetweeners II Notably, Akiye flourished under the care of the core «Brightscale» members, regaining much of the confidence she lost courtesy of the episode with Loki. She learned from the dual examples of Kenji and Ino, developed a friendly relationship with Airi, and saw in Yoshiro a parental figure. By the time «Brightscale» was established as an official guild Akiye had an impressive customer-base and product knowledge, with a degree of quiet confidence when conducting business.SAOK: The Moneymaking Crusade Once she reached Level 20 and unlocked «Martial Arts» she showed a notable desire to join Kenji and company on the battlefield.Intermission: A Matter of Skills and Proficiency Akiye is a fan of Disney's animated films, specifically Frozen and Moana. When she first met Kenji's friends she walked in on an impromptu party celebrating Kusaka and Sojiro reuniting, and sung various Disney songs alongside her sister. Whenever festivities were called for the twins were often called upon to sing, which was something they took to with gusto. Relationship with Fujimaru With the possible exception of Kenji and her twin, Akiye's most noteworthy bond in Sword Art Online was Fujimaru. Even early into their friendship Akiye was known to reschedule plans with her guild-mates to spend time with Fujimaru, even becoming the first outside his grandparents to compliment his snow-white hair. Their closeness became a talking point amongst her guild-mates, and she got quite defensive when teased about this by Yoshiro. That said, when she asked Yoshiro for advice on how best to move past an awkward spell, Yoshiro was quick to offer advice and the young couple bonded over a shared love of music. Before Fujimaru had even joined «Brightscale» Akiye had stopped charging him for gear maintenance and enhancement. History Synopsis :Main article -- Sword Art Online (Kenji). Aincard arc Part I: Companionship *SAOK: The Karma Scales *SAOK: The Business of Grinding *SAOK: The Eventful Taurus *SAOK: The Moneymaking Crusade *SAOK: Roving Rovia *SAOK: Braving the Depths *SAOK: New Year Resolutions Inbetweeners I *SAOK: Inbetweeners I *SAOK: Inbetweeners III *SAOK: Inbetweeners V Intermission *Intermission: A Matter of Skills and Proficiency Part II: Determination Stats Equipment Weapons Crafting Accessories Items Skills Akiye began her career in Sword Art Online as a non-combatant, though when she was questing or farming materials with Kenji, she used «Throwing Picks» to lightly injure a monster before Kenji finished it off to increase her experience yield. This practice would continue when questing with Fujimaru. At his direction the twins were given a «Cloak of Hiding» apiece which allowed them to easily resolve fetch quests in monster-infested areas without their more battle-ready comrades having to constantly watch out for them. Midway through January 2023 Akiye reached Level 20 and unlocked «Martial Arts». This provided her a means of causing descent direct damage, though she was never considered a front-line member. Akiye's primary role is crafting and maintenance.Brightscale Roles Her initial skills included «Heavy Metal Armour Forging» and «Light Metal Armour Forging». Her third skill, acquired during intensive questing and monster-farming whilst partying with Kenji, was «Metal Refining». She reached her fourth skill slot in the time between December 7th and December 15th, with her fourth skill being «Blacksmith». By the time «Brightscale» was established as an official guild, Akiye had built an impressive customer-base and product knowledge. Kenji's gift of a allowed her to set up a shop in any safe-zone when her combat-focused comrades were questing or farming. Sword Art Online Author's notes Behind the scenes *Akiye's height and weight measurements, including physical appearance, is modelled on Karin Kurosaki from Bleach. Trivia *Akiye was put forward for one section of the Sword Art Online Fanon's 7th Year Polls in 2019, specifically the "Best Couple" category.SAO Fanon 7th Anniversary Akiye won the poll, having been paired with Fujimaru Nakamura.SAO Fanon 7th Anniversary results References & notes References Notes Category:Characters Category:Female